The above photo was scanned off a Waikato United season wallchart-calendar, which featured the season draw for Waikato plus colour ads for 26 club sponsors, printed by John Walker Printers, and distributed to fans, businesses and schools. This calendar was an annual event for about four years.

Declan Edge

Joined Waikato United from Mt Maunganui in mid-1990 and had an immediate impact, as you would expect of a player of his pedigree, having made his All Whites debut in 1985 (and played professionally with Notts County).

A mercurial player, in 1991 he was perhaps only in the shadow of Mike McGarry as an attacking force in the national league, where Waikato finished third. In post-season 1991he suffered a horror leg break playing in a provincial representative match for Bay of Plenty. Was Waikato's assistant coach in 1992.

Edge was never quite the same after that accident though did later on reinvent himself as a sweeper and play for Melville United in the national league. Later coached Melville and Waikato FC, though proved to be a polarising figure with philosophies which meant controversy was never far away.

In 94 games for Waikato he scored 47 goals, to be third on the all-time Waikato United goalscoring charts behind Darren Fellowes and Mark Cossey. Over 40 appearances for New Zealand, including the centenary matches against England in 1991.

DARREN "DASH" FELLOWES SHIPS IN: This photo was taken the day Fellowes signed for Waikato from Forrest Hill Milford in about March 1991. Fellowes quickly became a Waikato star with his mesmerising pace and improbable goals. But he could also be a loose unit off the pitch in those days, and on one occasion Waikato had to bail him out of the police cells after being thrown down the stairs at Victoria's Tavern, to get him onto a plane to Wellington to win a match.

Paul Thompson, Gary Dillistone, Darren Melville, Craig Jessep at Waikato United's season launch, held on board the Waipa Delta riverboat. Sponsors such as Waipa Delta, and Lion Breweries, allowed the club to run a top launch. Major sponsors was Colonial Mutual (insurance) who pumped in $50,000 a year for three years up until 1991.

Brian Hayes is presented with a gold watch by coach Roger Wilkinson upon becoming the first Waikato United player to make 100 appearances, 1991.

Hayes played 185 games for Waikato in total, behind only Darren Melville and Paul Gemmell.

In the late 80s and 90s it was de rigeur for those of some importance to park their cars inside Muir Park on the hill at the northern end. Pictured here is an example of an annual car pass for players, sponsors, media etc.

ABOVE: Lance Bauerfiend in action against Mt Wellington near the clubrooms touchline at Muir Park, 1991

Ian Redman. English import for Waikato in 1991. Tall, handy centreback, nicknamed Rodders due to his likeness to the character from Only Fools & Horses. Returned to England homesick before the end of the season and died a few years later of cardiac arrest.

1992 team photo, including the BABY BULLS. (Photo is clearer when clicked)

1992 proved to be Waikato United best year on the park - and one of the most challenging off it. After three years of major sponsorship by insurance company Colonial Mutual, Waikato suddenly lacked a name-right sponsor and debts were incurred.

ABOVE: Waikato United's entry in the 1992 National League Media Kit. Note the incorrect spelling of Fellowes. And the club forgot that Mark Cossey had played for the club in 1988.

Darren Fellowes, 1992. Fellowes was at his peak in 1992. Lightning pace, clever ball play and in the prime of fitness. he scored a catalogue of wonder goals as Waikato finished runners-up in the national league and Chatham Cup. He would bring the Muir Park crowd to their feet with improbably goals and outrageous displays of skill. This was despite seldom managing to train. Fellowes was duly named New Zealand's National League Players' Player of the Year.

His form was extra important for Waikato given Declan Edge had a broken leg, David Laws had returned to England, and import Neil Ashworth proved a flop.

Waikato set a new national league record of 10 away wins (and one draw) - and scored 38 goals away from home.

GOODBYE AND GOOD LUCK: This photo of Waikato United captain Brian Hayes and Waikato rugby captain John Mitchell appeared on the front page of the Waikato Times ahead of the Chatham Cup final in Wellington.

Waikato finally managed to get a shirt sponsor with the final due to broadcast live on TV, with Eta chipping in. Waikato lost the final 3-1 despite Fellowes giving them a 1-0 lead.

Muir Park spectators, early 1992. If you look hard, you can see TV reporter Dylan Tate and his cameraman up near the back row. Tate was an avid football fan, and often a useful ally for Waikato United. He died in 2003.

Darren Fellowes v Rodger Gray, 1992. Fellowes and Waitakere City skipper Rodger Gray had some titanic battles over the years. Fellowes often terrorised the All Whites skipper with his pace, and was named NZ Players' Player of the year in 1992. But he finished on the losing side in this one, as Waikato (nine men) lost 3-2 at home to Waitakere (10 men), though Fellowes scored the winner in the return match in Auckland.

Fellowes was Waikato's all-time top goalscorer with an impressive 87 goals from 128 appearances.

Brian Hayes against Miramar ring-in Billy Wright in 1992 against the glorious industrial backdrop of The Bitumix End at Muir Park. They just don't make football pitch surrounds like that any more.

Miramar signed Wright - a former Claudelands Rovers import and New Zealand player - from an Australian club for the cup final against Waikato, and he also played in the league match preceding it. Miramar won 2-0, killing Waikato's national league title chances. And they beat Waikato 3-1 in the Chatham Cup final.

Brian Chisholm (mug shots from 1990, 1992, 1995 and 1996).

Brian "Chizzy" Chisholm is something of a curiosity in the pantheon of Waikato players. You won't find him mentioned in revered tones alongside the likes of Fellowes, Laws, Edge, Hayes, Melville, Merritt etc. And yet he was a pillar of the club, local lad made good, veteran of 186 appearances (1989-96) Often he was the whipping boy when things went wrong, a player fans loved to hate, but he was also a tremendous athlete, great squad member and part of the fabric of the club. His claim to fame is perhaps the player to have made the most appearances as substitute - 37 in total. That's almost twice as many as the next contender, Paul Thompson.

Scored 17 league and cup goals for Waikato.

Gary Dillistone warms up at the far less referenced Killarney Rd end of Muir Park, circa 1995.

Shane Gillies, 1992. Gillies was Waikato's left back, and six years later foudn further fame as Cleo New Zealand's Bachelor of the Year, once he had moved to Auckland. Notoriety also struck when he later became the first footballer in New Zealand to fail a post-match drugs test.

Waikato made the national round and the top 4 playoffs, but lost 1-0 in a sudden death match to North Shore United at Seddon Park, Hamilton. Waikato were bitter after having a goal disallowed and skipper Brian Hayes sent off

WILKINSON RESIGNS: After six seasons at the helm for Waikato Roger Wilkinson stepped down, ending an era (though he later returned briefly in 1995).

"One of the things I have learned in coaching is not to outstay your welcome," he said at the time."

Waikato United v Ellerslie, Superclub 1995: This shot looks back towards the Muir Park gate, the 'terrace' and to the right, the dreadful away dressing room.

Geoff Kettle, Eddie Edge, Roger Wilkinson. At the start of the 1995 season, Eddie Edge, who had succeeded Roger Wilkinson in 1994, invited Wilkinson - who had returned from overseas - to join him as Waikato coach. It was meant to be the dream team, but ended as a nightmare, with Edge and Wilkinson incompatible, and Edge then sacking Kettle as manager. Wilkinson took the Waikato reserves until the board sacked Eddie and installed him as coach in time to resurrect a season in which Waikato made the Superclub Championship final, before losing 4-0 to Waitakere City.

Star Trek: The Final Frontier - Muir Park

From a 1995 edition of fanzine BULL-SHEET

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1995 Prizegiving

Brian Chisholm is named as Player of the Year and Che Bunce as Players' Player at the Waikato United awards ceremony.

Waikato played all their games, and trained, at Porritt Stadium - but had their photo taken at sold-off Muir Park.

Darren Melville, right, being dismissed along with Waitakere's Thomas Edge, 1992. Did anyone have a worst misconduct record during the Muir Park years than Melville?

Gavin Wilkinson. Who says the camera never lies? At first blush this would appear Wilkinson was being terribly thuggish against Mt Albert Ponsonby at Muir Park in 1993. But there was not so much as a free kick awarded from this challenge. Indeed, there was no drama at all.

Horror home form, 1994

After a schocking start to the 1994 Superclub season, in which Waikato could not win at Muir Park, this "cut-out and keep" badge was published in unofficial club fanzine, BULL-SHEET "in readiness for the great day".

THE ICEMAN COMETH: Saevar Petursson arrived unsolicited from Iceland in early 1995 and became an immediate hit, with his pedigree having included two appearances in European Cup competiton. . After years of shelling out fortunes for dodgy imports, a real diamond arrives on Waikato's back doorstep for free, staying with his brother, a Hamilton-based fisherman. As a bonus, his sister, Linda Petersdottir, was the 1988 Miss World. Seriously.

Che Bunce, 1995. Warming up for Superclub Championship playoff duty at North Shore. Waikato upset Shore to earn a place in the grand final (which they lost to Waitakere City).

Bunce meanwhile used his connection with Saevar Petursson to later score a pro contract in Iceland.

Incidentally look at the state of Allen Hill Stadium in front of Bunce, inside the penalty area. Muir park wasn't the only place with a dodgy surface.

Bunce made 42 appearances for Waikato, and scored three goals.

A NIGHT ON THE TOWN: players and administrators found time to celebrate on the road to the 1995 Superclub Grand Final: From left, Grant Stantiall, Paul Nixon (obscured), Brian Impson (chairman), Che Bunce, Dermot Munster (back), Darren Fellowes, Geoff Kettle and Grant Mawston.

THE BITUMIX END: Behind the goal at the southern end of Muir Park was the elevated Bitumix (later Fulton Hogan) social club from where workers would often watch on matchdays. There was a gate behind the goal for retrieving the heaps of balls that sailed over the fence.

Tommy Taylor. Not to be confused with Tommy Taylor the former Hamilton coach, Tommy Taylor the player was singed from Bournemouth in 1992. Made 40 appearances for Waikato (12 goals) up until 1995, having a spell with Ngaruawahia as well.

ABOVE: HAIRCUTS FROM HELL

On the Thursday before the 1995 Superclub Championship Grand Final a number of Waikato United's players decided to give themselves No 1 haircuts in the clubrooms at Muir Park after training. From left, Che Bunce, Darren Fellowes, Grant Mawston (Split Enz), Paul (Butcher) Caton, and Darren Melville suffered the unkindest cuts of all.

Preseason Story 1995

The first two pages of a pre-season wrap of Waikato United events from Bull-Sheet No 5

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